Questor share tip: Transformed Big Pharma back in the spotlight as research successes swing sentiment in their favour

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Several years ago things looked pretty bleak for Big Pharma. The sector was stuck in a rut of low productivity, with billions being spent on R&D, but nothing to come out the other end to replace the forthcoming patent cliff.

Fast-forward to today and things couldn’t be more different. It is enjoying a golden age in drug discovery with huge scientific breakthroughs in areas such as oncology, respiratory, cardiovascular disease and HIV.

This is all hugely exciting, and companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca are at the vanguard of research. Just this week, both Glaxo and Astra reported positive results from three separate studies. Their share prices have soared over the past year, buoyed...